Wednesday, April 25, 2007

SNAP


I just got this digital camera and for someone that had been very resistant to going digital, its pretty easy to use.
Its has 7.2-megapixel still images but it also records high-quality movies in MPEG-4 format. Very stylish camera for $299.99. Check it out by clicking on the pink title.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

KIDS BEDDING




I saw this item on WREN ELEVEN's blog, and wish they made bedding in adult sizes. So fun, colorful...and the prices are so reasonable. Check it out by clicking on the pink title.

GRETCHEN JULIUS



I love these elephant rings by Gretchen Julius. The sterling Silver one with Blue Topaz is $415. The 14K gold one is $1250.
Check them out by clicking on the pin title.

DR. DOG


I love this upbeat band from Philidelphia, PA. They remind me of the Beatles and Beach Boys, but with a modern rock pop edge.
This current CD out, makes me want to jump on my bed. Check them out by clicking on the pink title.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

HATS




I am always cold. I wear hats year round, and fell in love with these hats. They are unique, well at least a few of them, and the fun. The brown ones are around $200, and the caps are about $88. Check them out on Ravinstyle.com. Click the pink title.

Monday, April 09, 2007

SOFT GOODS


I was checking out OH JOY'S Blog and found these fantastic pillows. They are so colorful and great for summer and spring.
Their site is under contruction, but they list a few places you can buy online.
Babygeared
www.babygeared.com
The Shop at Cooper-Hewitt
www.cooperhewittshop.org

Check it out by clicking on the pink title.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

PETFINDER




I was volunteering at a Dog Rescue called Ace of Hearts about 6 months ago. I got an adorable Jindo mix to foster for two months. I adored him but he was a special needs dog, and so I had to give him back after that time because I wasn't trained to handle his issues. I took a little break from the volunteering, but I think I am ready to give another dog another chance and foster again. I watch DOG WHISPER regularly and last night, there was a show on dogs that are rescued from being killed. If you are ready to get a dog, please consider adoption. There are hundreds of loving animals that need homes...they just need some close attention for the first couple of weeks. Dogs can change our lives just as much as we can change their lives.
Here is a great website that you can find a great dog near your neighborhood. Check it out by clicking on the pink title.

COLORFUL CHAIRS




I have been looking for a new colorful chair for my place for a few weeks...I got an anthropologie home catalogue this weekend and its awesome. I think the home decor buyer is awesome and really bringing their home collection to a new level.
Lizzie Garrett of Designwatcher.com was inspired by green a month or so back...which I like alot, but I am into yellow these days too. Take a look...check them out by clicking the pink title.

Friday, March 30, 2007

NOSARA COSTA RICA





The Harmony Hotel is owned by John Johnson, and heir to the Johnson and Johnson family and it located in NOSARA an untouched area of Costa Rica's Pacific coast. The rooms are a great price right now....$120 a night! If you want to visit CR, WWD scoop just wrote about this area so check it out in the March 2007 issue. They said Nosara is a fantastic place to visit because its remains untouched and there are not alot of tourists in this area.
There are a few surf hotels which makes the area fun and exciting, but there is hiking, yoga and surfing community in addition to great ethnic food. Also noted, is Nosara is on one of the best beach break in Central America.

The Hotel harmony site says that it is a stone's throw from the best break on Playa Guiones...home to the best surf in Nosara and for that matter, some of the most consistent year-round waves in the world. The beach breaks with lefts and rights. Swells vary throughout the day from May to Sept from waist high to double-overhead. The website continues to say that this break works on all tides but shapes up best at high tide. Even though it's becoming a popular longboard spot, it is good for short boards and great for fun boards.

I am going to this spot in May and I am so excited! I was going to go to Sufari surf camp, but didn't really like the accomdations...call me a princess. Can't wait to surf in this area and actually surf in warm water!

Check it out by clicking on the pink title.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

MARTHA'S FLOWERS




I just sent some flowers to some close friends for various reasons, and I have to say that this is the best flower delivery service nationwide. Martha picks these flowers internationally and they are shipped to the states...also good prices too...these are all $34.99. Check the website out by clicking the pink title.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

USC ROCKS



So to support my alma mater, USC, here is the link to their website to show your support! That is...if you are keeping up with March Madness. Go SC!

SPRINKLES CUPCAKES


So my favorite cupcakes in LA has teamed up with William Sonoma to make their own cake mix that can be purchased online!
Its more than Betty Crocker, but worth it ($14 per mix)! THE CUPCAKES ARE AMAZING. My favorite is Red Velvet.
Check it out by clicking on the pink title.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

JOHN DERIAN



I am a huge fan of John Derian. Check out some of his dinnerplates. Comes in all sizes. A bit pricy, but worth every penny!
Click on the pink title to get there.

Monday, March 19, 2007

STOP TALKING


I have been out and about lately and have realized that I am easily annoyed by hi pitched sounding voices that say LIKE and OH MY GOD...I found these cards today. These will come in handy in the future if I am out and someone comes up to me that I just deal with. I think they are funny...$8 for 25 cards.

SAMUEL MOYER



Samuel Moyer is a Los Angeles Based furniture designer. I love his work. I saw it on Apt therapy's blog. Check his website out by clicking the pink title.

MEXICAN ENCHILADA SUIZA LASAGNA

This is a recipe that a friend told me about that she got on food network. Its looks pretty good, check it out by clicking on pink title.


Mexican Enchilada Suiza Lasagna
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004

6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 teaspoons vegetable oil
18 corn tortillas
4 cups cooked cubed or bite size chicken meat (2 pounds boneless skinless breasts)
2 teaspoons Emeril's Southwest Essence
6 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 cup chopped green onions
3/4 pound (3 cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnishing, if desired
4 ounces Queso Anejo, shredded (substitute Parmesan if unavailable)
1 cup sour cream, for serving
Salsa or Pico de Gallo, for serving, optional
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, little by little, until thoroughly combined. Add the chicken stock and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened and flavorful, about 10 minutes. Add the pepper jack and stir until melted. Season with the salt and remove from the heat. Set aside, covered, while you assemble the remaining ingredients.
Heat a small skillet over high heat. When hot, add 1/2 teaspoon of the vegetable oil and 1 of the tortillas. Cook until soft, turning midway, about 1 minute per tortilla. Transfer to a plate and cover while you cook the remaining tortillas, adding additional 1/2 teaspoon of oil for each tortilla. Set aside on a plate and cover with plastic wrap or foil.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-by 13-inch casserole.

Spoon 1 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with 6 of the tortillas, spreading them evenly to form a complete layer. Top with half of the chicken, 1 teaspoon of the Southwest Essence, half of the poblanos, half of the green onions, 1 1/2 cups of the sauce, and 1/3 of the shredded Monterey Jack. Make another layer in exactly the same way: 6 tortillas, the remaining chicken, 1 teaspoon of the Southwest Essence, remaining poblanos, remaining green onions, 1 1/2 cups of the sauce, and 1/3 of the shredded Monterey Jack. Top with the remaining 6 tortillas, remaining sauce, tomatoes, cilantro, and remaining Monterey Jack, then sprinkle the Queso Anejo evenly over the top.

Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for about 15 minutes longer, or until the casserole is bubbly and light golden brown on top.

Serve immediately, garnished with a dollop of sour cream, more chopped cilantro, and a spoonful of salsa or pico de gallo, if desired.

DROPKICK MURPHY'S


This is a Boston Based Punk Band that a friend told me about. It kicks ass. One of their songs is on the soundtrack of THE DEPARTED. Check them out by clicking on the pink title.

COOL PLATES FOR SUMMERTIME




I love these dessert plates from Anthropolgie. They are only $12 each made in Japan, and worth every penny.
Check them out by clicking on the pink title.

MY DAD


My dad is a pretty amazing guy. He doesn't have a website to show all thing accomplishments, but he is this amazing resilent and focused man that can get through anything. He had a very difficult childhood living through a war, poverty, and being separated from his family at 12 just to be on his own, made his way through the best schools in Korea while working to support the education, joined the army, immigrated to the US somehow through a education scholarship with only $200 in his pocket and this eternal optimism.

He has taught me alot growing up...he has excelled in the Martial arts and he is a 12th degree Master. I have had some personal trials the last few weeks so we have been talking alot about life. He said some things that really hit home. He said in life, we ALL have some sort of suffering. Whether its illness, a death, a loss of a husband or partner, a job loss or big financial loss, whatever it is...we all are suffering. Some show it more than others, but we all have our sad story.
He challenenged me to be different. Rather than be sad about what cannot be changed, he told me to readjust my attitude to outsmart the part of me that wants to dwell on the things that bring me pain. In order to be successful and to excel, he said people must do three things...
HAVE COURAGE
HAVE A BOLD MIND TO KILL THE FEAR
GO FORWARD
If you click on the pink title there is a website of one of my dad's students who offers martial arts to all, but there was a good photo of him if you want to see him. My dad is amazing. If he can survive the things that he has, I guess all of us can.

SURF BREAK




I am going to be in New York in early May so I am going to take a trip to Costa Rica and try and get my ass in gear for this summer. I do have a big desire to be able to surf confidently, and I had a little mishap a few months ago with an accident in Mexico that left me afraid of going out into the water. I realized that the only way I am going to beat this fear, is dealing with it head on. SO I am off to Costa Rica to get this thing past me and I have been taking surfing lesson again every weekend just to get out there with someone that can teach me how to use my new 7'10 board and go over all the safety tips with me.

I found this surf school, and thought it looked cool. I am still looking into a few more, but I am excited to visit the island and explore. Check it out by clicking on the pink title. Also, there is a surf school for just girls called SURF DIVAS and VOCE too. I think co-ed would make it more interesting, but for those of you that feel safer with the all girl thing, you have a choice.